FIG. 1 illustrates a safe 10 having a bolt-action locking mechanism 12 of the type employing mechanically and/or electrically actuated locking bolts 14, 16. The locking bolts 14, 16 are shown as being operable to retract from a sidewall 18 to an unlocked position (not shown) to permit a door 20 to be opened and to engage with the sidewall 18 in a locked position (shown) to prevent the door 20 from being opened, such as in the manner described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,794,420, entitled Secure Storage Apparatus, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. Any safe having a bolt-action locking mechanism or other locking mechanism with vulnerabilities similar to the illustrated bolt-action locking mechanism 12, may be susceptible to break-ins of the type whereby a wedge 22 is forcefully driven into a seam 24 between the door 20 and the sidewall 18 (left-hand view) so as to induce a prying effect sufficient for generating a gap 26 between the sidewall 18 and the door 20 (right-hand view). The susceptibility to prying jeopardizes security of items kept within a storage area when the resulting gap 26 become sufficient to pry the sidewall 18 out of engagement with the locking bolts 14, 16 such that the door 20 can be opened while the locking mechanism 12 is in the locked position.
One non-limiting aspect of the present invention contemplates a locking mechanism of the type sufficient to facilitate thwarting security breaches using a wedge or other prying mechanisms intended to separate locking bolts or other security elements from sidewalls or other retaining features of the safe or entry point.